1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to an umbrella, and more particularly, to a collapsible umbrella having a folding sheath assembly to store the umbrella in a fully collapsed condition when not in use.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Collapsible umbrellas permit the umbrella components to be folded into a relatively small package to facilitate ease of portability and storage when not in use.
One type is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,456,023 to Fujihashi, which comprises a central telescoping stick, a radiating folding frame slidably disposed on the telescoping stick, an umbrella canopy attached to the frame, and a tubular sheathing member which forms a handle on the bottom end of the stick. For storage, the frame and canopy are folded into a collapsed condition and the stick is partially retracted. The entire assembly is then inserted into the tubular sheathing member which is sealed to prevent moisture leakage from a wet umbrella canopy.
Another example of a collapsible umbrella is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,091,676 to Fliegner, which similarly comprises a telescoping stick, a radiating folding frame with an attached umbrella canopy, and a two-piece integral tubular sheath and handle assembly. Other similar structures can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,885,968 to Wedemann and 892,813 to Dolles.
All of these suffer from similar drawbacks in that the tubular sheathing member must be of a relatively large size to completely house the collapsed umbrella assembly. Moreover, the collapsing mechanisms employed in these umbrellas are relatively complex, which as a result, increases fabrication costs and reduces structural integrity.